Timed Event (Challenge) Math

Here is the math on the Shard Fragments you get from the Timed Event compared to the Shop special.
 

Shop: 8000 Essence Gems(EG) = 100 Shard Fragments ... 1 Frag = 80 EG (note that you also get Legendary Essence)
Energy Packs ... 1 Energy = 2 EG

 

Event:
First Node: 20 Energy = 5 Frags ... 1 Frag = 4 Energy = 8 EG (Multiply by 5 for the total EG spent)
Reset 1: 100 EG + 20 Energy = 5 Frags ... 1 Frag = 28 EG
Reset 2: 200 EG + 20 Energy = 5 Frags ... 1 Frag = 48 EG
Reset 3: 1 Frag = 68 EG
Reset 4: 1 Frag = 88 EG (worse than Shop price)

 

Second Node: 40 Energy = 5 Frags ... 1 Frag = 16 EG
Reset 1: 100 EG + 40 Energy = 5 Frags ... 1 Frag = 36 EG
Reset 2: 1 Frag = 56 EG
Reset 3: 1 Frag = 76 EG
Reset 4: 1 Frag = 96 EG (Bad)

 

Third Node: 60 Energy = 5 Frags ... 1 Frag = 24 EG
Reset 1: 100 EG + 60 Energy = 5 Frags ... 1 Frag = 44 EG
Reset 2: 1 Frag = 64 EG
Reset 3: 1 Frag = 84 EG (Bad)

 

Fourth Node: 80 Energy = 5 Frags ... 1 Frag = 32 EG
Reset 1: 100 EG + 80 Energy = 5 Frags ... 1 Frag = 52 EG
Reset 2: 1 Frag = 72 EG
Reset 3: 1 Frag = 92 EG (Bad)

 

Fifth Node: 100 Energy = 5 Frags ... 1 Frag = 40 EG
Reset 1: 100 EG + 80 Energy = 5 Frags ... 1 Frag = 60 EG
Reset 2: 1 Frag = 80 EG (Bad)

 

The cheapest 50 shards per week goes as follows:
1st Node (40 EG)
2nd Node (80 EG)
3rd Node (120 EG)
1st Node R1 (140 EG)
4th Node (160 EG)
2nd Node R1 (180 EG)
5th Node (200 EG)
3rd Node R1 (220 EG)
1st Node R2 (240 EG)
4th Node R1 (260 EG)

 

20 Shards/Event (if 5 events that month) = 380 EG/Event or 1900 EG for 1 Shop pack
25 Shards/Event (if 4 events that month) = 540 EG/Event or 2160 EG for 1 Shop pack
40 Shards/Event (if 5 events that month) = 1140 EG/Event or 5700 EG for 2 Shop packs
50 Shards/Event (if 4 events that month) = 1640 EG/Event or 6560 EG for 2 Shop packs

 

If you want to do as many of the nodes while spending less than 80 EG per frag, you could spend 3620 EG and get 80 frags. That's 320 Frags for 14,480 EG or 400 Frags for 18,100 EG (depending on if there are 4 or 5 events that month).

 

Hopefully this wasn't too confusing and that the Free To Play players see they can get legendaries if they allocate their resources intelligently. Good Luck and Have Fun!