I don't know if hardshell cases are any more durable than their fabric counterparts. Usually it is shoddy frame construction that causes fabric bags to fail.

Most hardshells sold today are super-lightweight models that feature paper thin plastic... which I don't think offers significantly better protection, other than perhaps being better at shielding foreign liquids from entering your bag.

If I have to transport things that I want to protect from abuse and the elements, I switch to my Pelican 1510 bag. It is super heavy, but nearly indestructible. That said, I almost always simply opt to carry on everything in a non-wheeled soft-sided bag that I can put in the overhead and not have to worry about damage.