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It's fun to use, and it's not too difficult to back off a few steps for sidewinder, but even on merit mobs the potential to miss is high and the skill cap SAM has for archery is kinda sad. If you really wanna max out on this, try and get a Shigeto Bow +1 and if possible a sea gorget to enhance sidewinder would help immensely.

Archery merits is optional but imo it seems like a waste to spend them all on secondary skills, especially one that is lesser than polearm for samurai. But to each their own. Have fun with it!