Items that are desirable for fighter builds for starting players are as follows:
Defender Set (Defender Plate Armor, Defender Shield, Defender Helm). I outfitted a friend playing Cleric with these on my 2nd run. The group got a huge laugh that the land dragon we were fighting seemed incapable of hitting him much to the GM's consternation.
Any solid Rare .+1 Weapon (one handed). Look for duplicate numbers next to each other on the damage wheel. Any other bonuses like + versus undead or giants is gravy, and you can choose ahead of time based on the adventure description like, Haunted Castle= Chance of Undead, use that sword.
A solid Rare +1 Bow or Sling for ranged. If your making your build around strength, a Mighty Sling adds in the strength bonus, if your build is centered around Dexterity, then a bow.
Decide on Rare or Uncommon tokens that buff Strength (Hand to Hand Combat) or Dexterity (Ranged Combat and AC). Depending on the other classes, these translate well.
Lastly, throw in some Constitution buffs. Bumping Con up a few points translates into more hit points and better fortitude saving throws.
I play Wizard pretty much exclusively. I'm up to Nightmare level being my preferred level. I have a high Dex (30) and points in Con (19). If I had to choose another class to play, as long as I used ranged damage, other than a Barbarian, I would do well.
There are trade offs but you will find that depending on your build you can play the 5 martial classes or the 5 magical classes with ease.
And lastly, I play Wizard because I suck at sliding. There are a lot of different types of Wizards. Gattling, Emo/Goth, Morphers, etc. I started as a Gattling with my first UR purchase (let me use 2 wands in a round). Now I tend to MEC (Emo/Goth). As you play the game you will learn the tricks and what suits you. And memorizing the planar chart is a b*tch for someone my age. There are mnemonics that many of us use. But it is only a few points difference. Good luck, and hit me up at a con for any advice.
Spud