SS/SD, new to /sd

So this is my first real attempt at a /sd toon, while looking at the descriptions of many of the toggles the set seems to be a balance of def and resis. I gues my real question is what should i slot for? Is the resis so minimal that it's just an added bonus that i shouldn't slot for or the other way around?

Any other tips for leveling, slotting, playing, IOs, anything really for an ss/sd will be greatly appreciated.

For SD your focus is Defense, the resist is an added bonus you don't really slot for unless you have like two spare slots to throw into Deflection(? off the top of my head) then you can throw some resist in there. SS/SD Is rather endurance hungry even fully IOed and Accoladed as well.
In order things I would slot for: Defense (up to 45% each position), Recovery, Recharge, Regen, etc.

The PvP 3% Defense IO is really nice to have and saves alot of effort but it is also incredibly expensive.

Always carry some purple inspirations.

It's funny to read this, because I was just bemoaning to a friend that the ONLY armor I have figured out how to slot is SD! LOL.

/SD is very easy. Trust me, I'm idiotically math challenged, and *I* can do it. Therefore, I must assume that ANYONE can do it. I truly understand your confusion about a mixed def/resist set, since I am utterly lost trying to figure out how to cap my WP brute. (Cap for S/L? Why??! S/L's the only stuff that ISN'T hurting me! Aarrggh!) However, you are lucky, because /SD is really easy, once you figure out that True Grit and Active Defense are merely the alien adopted children of what is otherwise a hard-core defense set.

As best I can remember:
*get your armors (all powers up to Phalanx and Grant Cover, which are both optional - though Phalanx is helpful to get that last little bit to your soft-cap. I also do try to get Grant Cover, on the off chance that someone squishy might fall into my lap and thus be assisted by my really, really short-range defensive ability!). Slot 1 end reducer (or get that much mileage out of whatever set you opt for), as well as defense.
*Get Tough and Weave.
*Active Defense needs 1) end reducer, and 1-2) rech only.
*True Grit can be slotted for a set of Numinas (heal) or Aegis (resist) - I've done both, and choose based on which set bonuses I need on the toon - because honestly, I haven't noticed much difference between slotting for heal or resist (anyone else?).
*Shield Charge works very well with Obliteration set, because it's not up fast enough that its lack of end reduction is going to have much effect, and its set bonuses are wonderful.

My /SD's (I have a bunch /SD's of various AT's) are all soft-capped for Melee, AoE and Ranged, and they all solo at 0/x8, because I have found nothing in this game more fun than Shield Charging into a huge army of Rikti Drones and seeing/hearing every last one of them explode on contact, as I giggle like a 6 year old. The AoE heavy of these toons go through stuff fast, almost half the time of my single-target-based Broadsword/SD scrapper, sometimes. She has no survivability issues, btw, it just takes her longer to move through a spawn. Obviously, I could set missions tougher, but ... why? Flying through missions fast is more fun to me, but YMMV.

Hope there is something useful to you in all this, especially since I realize my techie-speak skill lags somewhere behind my (nonexistent) math skills. But this also should illustrate the point that /SD it is NOT tough to figure out. So good luck, and have fun!

PS I also do the Steadfast +3 Def IO. Plus Combat Jumping for the extra def., as well as ability to jump up a floor and look all cool and stuff.