[b]PLEASE NOTE[/b] - It is incredibly important to get at least Rank 2 Vanguard before you start leveling up a faction. Prior to VG Rank 2 you won't be able to spend any of your accumulated Vanguard Marks. Basically if you want to level up you must equip legendary armor, therefore you need to get rank 2 to move forward. If you're up for it you can always ask people to carry you through Normal VoG and hope for a placeholder item (as it's only 30 light) while you acquire better gear. Once you get to 28 then you can likely find a group to carry you through Crota Normal. I always encourage people to start running VoG early as it nets you much needed Ascendant Energy / Shards. Edit: Also do the Eris quest that gives you free arms (Urn of Sacrifice). This is by far the easiest way to get some decent armor to start off.