Artifact WOULD help - but it could also be used elsewhere for even greater effects.
Remember, the truly great SC builds aren't about achieving the most power, but being very effective for their cost. Gift-of-Reasoning, Empowering and giving artifacts to a single Abomination makes him very powerful, but you could have dozen very powerful thugs, or 5-6 SCs, with the same price.
EVERY thing can die. Because of that, NOTHING is good enough to use all those resources on. Except in SP, and just for fun...
I remember someone playing Ulm, and the stories of the heroic Cave Drake leading his assault squad on a flying carpet.
I'd like to do something as cool as that!