How do I progress well as free-to-play in Dragonfire?

You can absolutely progress without paying in Dragonfire — you just have to play regularly and with a plan. The free pillars:

1. Daily login and events: the base of your income (gold, Relics, Heirloom currency).
2. Campaign and seats: big points and rewards (King's Landing +20,000 pts).
3. An active alliance: leaderboards and mutual help — the best free "source" there is.
4. Star Rank (permanent): put your Relics into 1-2 pivotal dragons, and target the tiers that unlock effects.
5. Army affinities: respect the triangle (Archers > Spearmen/Siege, and so on) — it's free and it wins fights.

The F2P secret: concentration. You have fewer resources than a spender, so you can't afford to sprinkle them. A focused roster beats a scattered one.