I do that as well, though I use Sophie as a lightning rod anyways for added safety net
@Tony: Khuri and Bashira should be able to handle the first waves, but the tricky part is getting Pallis, Sasha and maybe Percis out for handle the masses that come running through (archers/VHs won't kill the masses quick enough). Definitely go Shuka -> Katie -> Phyllis at the start, followed by Khuri and Bashira when able (this should set you up for early rush). Pop the Reinforcement skills, bring in Sasha and Percis (drop Percis near the back, her skill increases shot area of effect, as a safety net), withdraw Khuri and drop Iris then use Kerry as a lightning rod (in range of Sasha's skill and Iris' healing). Pop Sasha's skill if Kerry ends up dueling one of the kings or her health starts dropping and if she drops too far, swap her out for Prince. CCMax Shuka or Katie should be able to handle their row with just Percy for support (I'm preferring Percy for higher range and expanded AOE skill with less cost over Pallis but Pallis should work too) but have Alissa and a heavy ready to replace them if they're in trouble. Also, Shuka's skill provides EVERYONE DEPLOYED an attack buff if you need to increase Sasha and Percis/Pallis' AOE damage to deal with a wave (and if you dropped Shuka first, it WILL be up by the time you need it)
Hope that helps!