Upkeep is kind of a meaningless stat right now, what with all the high damage people can do. Forums just don’t hit you so frequently.

So how about, instead of equipment degrading when you’re hit, have it degrade when you use it — i.e., whenever you make an attack.

That’d put some strategy into spending points on Upkeep, and also be a means of causing you to spend   more frequently — a win-win from a balance perspective, IMO.