Personally I would prioritize SK stats this way:
(Note - starting stats are of little concern these days unless you do not plan on levelling to the top or plan on taking your time before you reach the level to start purchasing DoN augs)

1. AGI - Used in checks to determine if you will avoid incoming melee attacks. Also indirectly increases your AC. This stat is one of the most difficult to cap, even for level 60+ with DoN +14 stat augs this stat is often not capped. I recommend putting most points in here mostly becuase of the importance to tanking attributes and the difficulty to cap later in the game.

2. STA - Helps you hold your breath longer. Also indirectly increases your HP. Erudite get low STA to start with so I'd put a few points in here too since HP is quite a tankish necessity too.

3. STR - For Ogre or Troll SK I would list INT as #3 but Erudite get high INT and low STR to start so I swap them this time. STR lets you carry more loot / coin. It increases your ATK rating meaning you are more likely to land more hits for damage closer to your top damage (max hit damage doesn't go up but avg hit damage does). Also STR is used in skillup checks for many melee skills and some tradeskilling like blacksmithing. STR is probably the easiest stat to get maxed eventually. There are also lots of clicky STR buffs available to melee classes from various gear so I'd skip adding points to this stat.

4. INT - SK mana pool is based on INT so the higher it is the more spells you'll be able to cast before running out of mana. Also used in skillup checks for most tradeskills and some melee skills I think. INT is another easy stat to max usually and you get a nice amount to start so I'd skip adding points to here too.

5. DEX - Used in checks to determine if your attack hits or not (higher DEX means fewer missed swings, arrows too). Also used in checks to determine if spell and melee crits will trigger (higher DEX means more crits). A couple points here wouldn't hurt but I think would be better spent on the # 1 or 2 stat.

STR and DEX are the melee dps stats, and rogue / monk / zerker will usually go for those first since they are pure melee dps types. As a tank you should be more concerned with survivability than DPS which is why I recommend STA and AGI over STR and DEX. That is a play style choice though. You can try to mix it up a little here and a little there but choosing either dps or survivability and then spending all the points on one or the other is my preferred way.

As a soloer you may decide to max out STR and DEX for faster kills of mobs. You will have FD as a get out of jail free card if it looks like you won't be able to outlast the mob. With lower STA and AGI you'll burn through more mana lifetap-healing than otherwise though.

There are not many advantages to this class/race combo. Erudite are nightblind aren't they? They get no racial or class specific tradeskills or abilities. They get those funny looking helmets. The biggest novelty is the scarcity of other erudite SKs .. maybe make it female to be even more of a minority. Biggest advantage? You can enter Paineel and buy a key to The Hole for when a friend needs to go there.

If you have Serpent's Spine expansion the lower level gear there is awesome compared to old newbie stuff. There are augments and gear to quest and decent gear and augs that drops off trash mobs in Crescent Hollows and Blightfire Moore.

I can't recommend any particular gear, but you'll earn the respect and admiration of fellow SK if you ever complete your epic 1.0 or the Greenmist quest. Both are pretty uncommon to see.

Clever strategies? Just be prepared. Carry an insta-gate potion for emergencies. Get the Worker Sledgemallet. Learn to kite, WELL. FD is nice to have but not always needed if you can switch to kiting when things get dicey.