I dispute the massive numbers you mention. I have no idea if I ever challenged the mercy system. I did not have any referrals, most of my shards came from the monthly and weekly quests. Not so many as you claim. I play pretty much every day and had nowhere near those experiences, so yes I am very unlucky it seems. Yeah there are a million green shards, all food for me but I had to stop feeding the junky stuff I got. There are no statistics that apply to me personally as the game quotes. Those stats are all just a global pool of numbers shared by many.
You also assume I achieved what it took to get those "rewards from tournaments, events, clan boss, etc". I partici[pated in quite a few, never achieved a fusion except relickeeper, and one frag I did with Drexthar but with that I did not need to be a massive whale to get all that stuff in so short a time. I did get a Lego, I forget how, it was Bystophus, rated by utube as 90 out of 90 at that time (worst) in the game.
I had some starter champs, apothecary, maus mage, coldheart, etc but not made into the stuff that the utube guys have and flaunt in our faces. No real knock your socks off champs that so many have in the arena, even those half my level. (I had another account I abandoned so I am just talking experience).
So personally I feel just totally insulted by what Plarium tossed my way, not sure why, blame it on ignorance or roll of the dice, but why would I ever want to to recommend this game to anyone, even to get a shard?
Do not keep patting yourself on the back as if you had something to do with your success. Many others like me are just whipped into submission and will not admit their bad fortune to be criticized by you.
BTW in that account I abandoned I was L67, built 90% on rares. I was in Gold 4 before hell broke loose, my highest points level was 3500. All without legos, except for Drexthar and Scyl which was a game freebee, decent for a change.