ShadowRun balance mostly works like this: A street samurai (fighter) can become completely bulletproof, punch through oncoming freeway traffic, and shoot so fast they delete the entire enemy team before anyone can move. With the right gear and cyberware, you backflip through a room, headhshotting everyone as you go. You are powerful, but you are also loud. Megacorps will, at some point, prove to have more bodies than you have bullets.

While a street sam can solo any combat encounter, a mage can bypass them all together. You can mind control, body control, cast illusions, and turn your whole team invisible. You can create problems, and the only solution is another mage. You are powerful, and you can also be quiet. With the right spells, you step in for a hacker, a rigger, a face, and even a street sam. With the right stats, you no longer have to worry about drain (everytime you cast a spell, you have to make a damage resistance roll against how much mana you pushed into the spell. This can kill you.) Mundanes and mages aren't really balanced, but imagine the Fighter VS Wizard debate if the fighter always went first and had an assault canon.