While plugging at Turn 8 last night, I couldn't help but wonder: Is it really a completely lost cause if you don't bring a Bard to Turn 8? It really feels like it's absolutely necessary from what I've experienced, and I'm not sure if there's any other encounter in the game where the presence of a single class is so important.

So, here's the question: Has anyone successfully defeated the boss without using a Bard at all or by using a Bard who sung zero songs through the whole fight?