I recommend you skip the AQ series all together. The armor you get is useful for only a few levels, as the mobs you graduate to will chew through it.
You can get much better player-made armor from the broker, and with a myriad of crafters, the prices are reasonable, if not down-right cheap.
Player-made armor will last you much longer and you can get items with specific stat boosts that suit you.
I did the AQ on my first toon, and that was the last time. By the time I got to AQ6, the AQ1 item was nearly useless.
But if you're poor and can't seem to gather a copper, then the AQ is for you.