I don't care for ceramic blades personally. I don't find that they run much cooler than the steel ones and a little cool lube spray will be more than enough to ensure that your blades do not heat up. I also find that my ceramic blades are louder (which annoys me more than a dog I suppose) than my other blades and I sometimes have problems with them dragging through the coat and making lines just like a dull blade might even though they aren't dull. In short I keep a set and I use them sometimes or when my others are out for sharpening.
The number of blades you need depends on what you are planning on doing. If you want to be prepared for anything and everything and get really serious about grooming your baby I guess you could go all out and get a 10, 7, 5, 4, and a 30 or 40 to use under gaurd combs. The combs you select are also up to you. You can go full set with plastic or stainless steele combs. Might I reccomend the steele ones if you're looking for a complete set - they are great.
A set like what I've outlined above would be a great start. When you get better at clipping the face and the feet you can move up to shorter blades, say a 15 or even the 30 or 40 for that super smooth finish.
A better plan than just going out and buying a blanket set that covers everything might be to check out what poodle clips you like and what lengths you like. Then buy what you need to achieve those lenghts. Say if you wanted short but still a bit fluffy length wise and were going to do a basic lamb trim you might need a 10 or 15 for the face,feet,tail (until your comfortable/good enough to use a 30 or 40 if you choose), and a either a #4 blade or a #2 Gaurd comb (in this case the ref is for a plastic comb). That way you don't get stuck with stuff you don't need and won't be likely to use.
lol. One thing not to skimp on is your clippers though, buy the best you can afford and take care of them, I really like the andis ultra edges personaly. Anyway like I said keep 'em safe and clean and don't hang them up by the cords and they will serve you well for years with little maintance.
