4.5 years ago I was rank 1 in squad arena with my HK 88 86 Poggle Poe team. It was the "Whose Poe goes 1st wins" meta. Sometime after that I took 1.5 years off. During that time this guy that was 1 of the handful I battled for 1st is now at 6.5 million GP, and he's 13th and the norm for top 20. I'm at 3.7 mill and have been a daily player for the time I've been back.
People keep insisting that old shards are not necessarily as competitive as new ones. Lack of competition is not something I have ever experienced in my shard. If an older player quits, and older player of that original 20000 always moves into the place. And given I still see players in the top 20 I used to chat with 4.5 years ago, and they are all rolling with the current metas
An aging shard could very well concentrate the top players into the top 200 over time. It's survival of the best and most dedicated.
In about 4-6 months I will be able to get my Negotiator fleet into top 10, assuming a newer meta doesn't flood through. That''s how long all R7 pilots and 6E mods will take me. My ETA2 is still 5 or 6*, Nego is 5*, and my 5s, Rex, andtrooper just aren't there gear wise