Shield

Unknown

I know very well (I'm european and I had to wake up at 4 am to complete most of the pvp events) that before the shield was implemented the only important moment to play was 1h before its end, but now maybe it's even worse.
I checked my ranking 1d 12h before the last event's end and... all the players in the top 10 were shielded (meaning they'll most likely be shielding themselves for 2 days) and they are all above 700 (top4 over 800).

I don't know if they are going to win this way, but if this happens, the game is now about "not playing", or rather, playing when a few people are online and then completely stop.
So now the "easy win" might be, save/buy 600HP, play like there's no tomorrow when there are a few players online and then stop completely.
Play 3 hours and stop for 2 days... of course someone else can try and get a better score while you are shielded, but he has to play when most of the players are offline (otherwise he risks never to advance due to other player's attacks) and shield himself too.

What is pretty clear to me is that shields are mandatory for whoever wants to win a 3 star cover.
People will struggle to get over 600 the last hour to get a few 2 star covers, while shield users will be sure to get their prize with their 7-800 points.

Unknown

Even if that is the case, the tournaments all provide enough HP to buy a 3hr shield at the 400 point level, which everyone with aspirations of winning can obtain.

That being said, the next couple of week will be interesting as we see how shield start to change playing habits and strategies.