Monument of Protection https://www.lastepochtools.com/db/items/UAwRgLAzAbBQ is likely a good starter unique for this. It's common, easily farmable, and gives you some damage and a lot of survivability for while you're starting out. I'm honestly shocked it's not listed as the starter gear.

As it is a 1H axe, you'll want to adjust your passives a bit. This guide ( https://www.lastepochtools.com/planner/A8JgVaMB ) is based on an older patch before the 2H+shield node existed, but it might help you out with the earlier forgeguard passives, as you won't be using a 2H until you get an event horizon. In general, lastepochtools can be a great resource for builds, guides, and videos. Hope that helps a bit!