Wow! Her shards sound like a pain in the butt. I think I'll just stick with the two Ahsoka's I already have and then yell at the screen "Come on commander you got this!!" in the hope she helps win.
If it wasn't already clear from The Road Ahead link (that you should read) the CAT Unlock for Dummies version is this:
CAT unlocks at 330 shards.
CAT shards are available in different amounts in different reward crates.
The # of CAT shards is at least 25 for all reward crates available in Hard mode, but only for the top reward crate in Normal mode.
If you play Normal mode and do not get the maximum reward, you will get zero CAT shards.
These CAT shard numbers are only available the first 3 conquests after CAT was announced.
For 3 more conquests after that CAT shards will be among the rewards, but the number will be reduced.
We do not yet know what the reduced number of shards will be.
In addition to CAT shards being made available in reward boxes, they are also purchasable through Conquest Currency, but only from Jawa Merchants you encounter within the conquest game. There are 4 such merchants available in Hard mode (if you can make it to Sector 5), but only 1 in Normal mode (also in Sector 5, I believe).
After CAT is no longer available in reward crates (that is, after 5 more conquests from now) her shards will be available for purchase using Conquest Currency, but in the Conquest Store, not from (or not only from?) Jawa Merchants. This will make it possible for Normal Mode players to begin acquiring CAT shards even if they could not get the Normal mode maximum reward crate.
All players will be sent 5 shards of CAT for free because CG accidentally set the wrong price for those shards in Jawa Merchant purchases.
After 1 year (presumably either 1 year since the most recent began or 1 year since it ended, but we're not entirely sure which), CAT shards will become available through other means (probably meaning she'll be moved to a Cantina Battles, Fleet Battles, LS Battles, or DS Battles node).
Because the maximum rewards of CAT shards for the first 3 battles are 90 per conquest, and the maximum amount of currency will purchase 15 CAT shards this conquest (and 20 in the next 2 conquests now that the pricing issue will be fixed), this means the maximum number of shards you can gain during the next 3 conquests equals:
90 + 15 = 105 shards this conquest if you did not have currency saved
OR ... 90 + 20 = 110 shards this conquest if you still had currency saved from last conquest
90 + 20 = 110 each of the next 2 conquests
5 = free shards for pricing problem.
This means that after 3 conquests, the best anyone can have is 330 shards (if they did not enter this conquest with currency saved) or 335 if they did have currency saved.
If you can't max out rewards, read the following:
We don't know what the reduced rewards will be, so we can't adequately predict how many more conquests it will take to reach 330 shards if you couldn't get there in just the first three.
However, we do know that she will still be available for purchase in those conquests, so the minimum number of shards available will be 20 + the number in the prize box you win, but again, that assumes you reach Sector 5 so you can encounter all the Jawa Merchants that sell CAT shards.
The number of shards given in the 2nd best prize box is 65, and to get that, you will almost certainly be a player who reaches Sector 5, even if you can't get all the feats available to you. But just in case, let's calculate 2 ways: 1 in which you're a player that gets 2nd Tier rewards but reaches the S5 Merchant, and one in which you gain 2nd Tier rewards but only reach the S4 Merchant.
Then your shards look like this:
If you reach S5 Merchant:
65 + 15 (purchased) + 5 (free) = 85 shards this conquest
65 +20 = 85 shards each of the next 2 conquests
85 * 3 = 255 shards after the first three "full CAT rewards" conquests
Meaning that you'll need 75 more shards over the next 3 "reduced CAT rewards" conquests. With 20 purchased on each of the 1st and 2nd of reduced rewards conquests, you'll only need 35 more shards. A good guess is that your 2nd Tier reward crate will give you something like that, so you'll get your 330th shard either during or at the end of your 2nd reduced rewards conquest.
If you reach only the S4 Merchant, you'll get 5 shards less in the next 2 conquests (but the same in the first), so you'll need 85 more shards over the 3 "reduced CAT awards" conquests.
With 30 shards purchased from merchants in the first 2 reduced CAT reward conquests, you'll still need 65 shards. Your two prize boxes might total this amount, but they might be slightly less. So in the S4 scenario, you should expect your 330th shard to come at the end of your 2nd reduced CAT reward Conquest (i.e. the end of the 4th conquest from now) or from purchases during the 3rd reduced CAT reward Conquest.
Ultimately this means that only people getting the maximum or 2nd best reward crates in Hard Conquest will be able to unlock CAT during the 6 Conquest run in which she is featured.
If you are someone playing Hard mode who is not getting the best or 2nd best reward crate in Conquest, you should not count on getting your 330th shard from the Conquests featuring CAT and should expect instead to unlock her several months from now using Conquest Currency by purchasing her shards when she moves to the Conquest Store.
If you are someone playing Normal mode or someone getting minimum or 2nd worst rewards in Hard mode, you should not expect to unlock CAT until her shards become available through other sources at the end of May or beginning of June next year.
As of right now they have not stated they are reducing the rewards on the 4th run. Last I spoke to Crumb he was working on getting us the details on the number of shards when and when things will change.
Replies
CAT unlocks at 330 shards.
CAT shards are available in different amounts in different reward crates.
The # of CAT shards is at least 25 for all reward crates available in Hard mode, but only for the top reward crate in Normal mode.
If you play Normal mode and do not get the maximum reward, you will get zero CAT shards.
These CAT shard numbers are only available the first 3 conquests after CAT was announced.
For 3 more conquests after that CAT shards will be among the rewards, but the number will be reduced.
We do not yet know what the reduced number of shards will be.
In addition to CAT shards being made available in reward boxes, they are also purchasable through Conquest Currency, but only from Jawa Merchants you encounter within the conquest game. There are 4 such merchants available in Hard mode (if you can make it to Sector 5), but only 1 in Normal mode (also in Sector 5, I believe).
After CAT is no longer available in reward crates (that is, after 5 more conquests from now) her shards will be available for purchase using Conquest Currency, but in the Conquest Store, not from (or not only from?) Jawa Merchants. This will make it possible for Normal Mode players to begin acquiring CAT shards even if they could not get the Normal mode maximum reward crate.
All players will be sent 5 shards of CAT for free because CG accidentally set the wrong price for those shards in Jawa Merchant purchases.
After 1 year (presumably either 1 year since the most recent began or 1 year since it ended, but we're not entirely sure which), CAT shards will become available through other means (probably meaning she'll be moved to a Cantina Battles, Fleet Battles, LS Battles, or DS Battles node).
90 + 15 = 105 shards this conquest if you did not have currency saved
OR ... 90 + 20 = 110 shards this conquest if you still had currency saved from last conquest
90 + 20 = 110 each of the next 2 conquests
5 = free shards for pricing problem.
This means that after 3 conquests, the best anyone can have is 330 shards (if they did not enter this conquest with currency saved) or 335 if they did have currency saved.
If you can't max out rewards, read the following:
However, we do know that she will still be available for purchase in those conquests, so the minimum number of shards available will be 20 + the number in the prize box you win, but again, that assumes you reach Sector 5 so you can encounter all the Jawa Merchants that sell CAT shards.
The number of shards given in the 2nd best prize box is 65, and to get that, you will almost certainly be a player who reaches Sector 5, even if you can't get all the feats available to you. But just in case, let's calculate 2 ways: 1 in which you're a player that gets 2nd Tier rewards but reaches the S5 Merchant, and one in which you gain 2nd Tier rewards but only reach the S4 Merchant.
Then your shards look like this:
If you reach S5 Merchant:
65 + 15 (purchased) + 5 (free) = 85 shards this conquest
65 +20 = 85 shards each of the next 2 conquests
85 * 3 = 255 shards after the first three "full CAT rewards" conquests
Meaning that you'll need 75 more shards over the next 3 "reduced CAT rewards" conquests. With 20 purchased on each of the 1st and 2nd of reduced rewards conquests, you'll only need 35 more shards. A good guess is that your 2nd Tier reward crate will give you something like that, so you'll get your 330th shard either during or at the end of your 2nd reduced rewards conquest.
If you reach only the S4 Merchant, you'll get 5 shards less in the next 2 conquests (but the same in the first), so you'll need 85 more shards over the 3 "reduced CAT awards" conquests.
With 30 shards purchased from merchants in the first 2 reduced CAT reward conquests, you'll still need 65 shards. Your two prize boxes might total this amount, but they might be slightly less. So in the S4 scenario, you should expect your 330th shard to come at the end of your 2nd reduced CAT reward Conquest (i.e. the end of the 4th conquest from now) or from purchases during the 3rd reduced CAT reward Conquest.
Ultimately this means that only people getting the maximum or 2nd best reward crates in Hard Conquest will be able to unlock CAT during the 6 Conquest run in which she is featured.
If you are someone playing Hard mode who is not getting the best or 2nd best reward crate in Conquest, you should not count on getting your 330th shard from the Conquests featuring CAT and should expect instead to unlock her several months from now using Conquest Currency by purchasing her shards when she moves to the Conquest Store.
If you are someone playing Normal mode or someone getting minimum or 2nd worst rewards in Hard mode, you should not expect to unlock CAT until her shards become available through other sources at the end of May or beginning of June next year.
@MasterSeedy
That was a lot to read, so if you explained this and I didn't read it, then I'm sorry.
I just wanted to say that I got the T6 crate (normal mode) with 20 shards in it.
As of right now they have not stated they are reducing the rewards on the 4th run. Last I spoke to Crumb he was working on getting us the details on the number of shards when and when things will change.