Bard Epic? Realistic or pipe dream?

[Eugee]

So my only real goal on P99 was to level a bard up again (never finished leveling one on live) and get my epic. I've grouped most of the way, and I'm having a great time. I quested every piece of my lambent and saved up for decent weapons, I'm good at my class and enjoy playing.

But recently I started working on my epic, and I'm being told my friends and guildmates that if you're not in one of the few guilds that has the white/red scales on perma-camp, you can forget getting the bard epic.

Is this true? I never expected to be raiding NToV or anything on P99, I don't have the time for it anyway. But I thought getting my epic would be attainable.