Woah… You have a lot of questions, and your enthusiasm for the game is obvious. @Vikingblood80 has answered cup droppers, so…
No. The number of cups adds to your alliance’s ranking, but has no bearing in war match ups. @Rook has compiled lots of threads that would be handy for you to peruse.
Me neither 
and I’ve been playing nearly two years. GL in your E&P journey 
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