just dont go paladin as first main; trust me =)
Personallllllllly in my 6 months experience on red99 I would suggest a solo pve class first then build up your pvp class after; chanter/necro/shaman for example then save pennies for your level 1 melee pvp toon.
If you wanted to go SK for example you can quest out a full set of good armor in CT while solo leveling in the 40's range for your level 1 melee.
http://wiki.project1999.com/Darkforge_Armor_Quests