have you tried to solo a normal non-dlc group dungeon? arc 1 is roughly on par with that in terms of difficulty (only tho'at and some of the cycle 4 bosses are a little bit above that level of difficulty especially if you dont know the mechanics)

for crafted sets, i think coldharbours favorite can be useful, as it could provide additional dmg or healing depending on how you trigger it

orders wrath is still a good crafted set, i think the crit dmg bonus still applies to pets

if you want something to help you stay alive, a crafted set ive given to people who were learning was whitestrakes retribution (gives you a large dmg shield if you drop under like 35% hp, and short cooldown)