Defense in the way you mention is great, with one drawback. People will use def vs def to try get past you.
With the sets I try to work with I have always tried to create something that is hard to hit, and be able to hit back. If this is something you are looking for then I would personally go attack. with the pharaoh's set and dagoresh at your level (allowing for the loss of some levels) you will be able to use KE to boost your attack, then rage and fury for some more fun. with those on, you can then start to tank def/damage items and become a right pain to hit, while still being able to hit back. Alternately if you go with the armor kits that are popular at your level, you again really boost the attack, meaning it will be very hard to make a def damage kit to safely hit you.
I am always a fan of being able to hit back, so it's attack that gets my vote.
*edit* note to self. Proof read before hitting submit. fixed a typo

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