If upgrades would be so ofter it gonna be really hard to balance it and track run progress. So the reason why in LC upgrades are only in shop - decision making which option is good for you right now with limited choice and limited resources (cost)
> Some artifacts are already strong but a build like blocking could become viable if the armor gets some buffs.
yeah im working on status effects rn making building more interesting. For blocking archetype need more fun options and gimmicks around it