Throwing Magus: Viable?

[deuxhero]

Card Caster (http://www.archivesofnethys.com/ArchetypeDisplay.aspx?FixedName=Card%20Caster) archetype changes spellstrike to work on throwing weapons and, contrary to the name, all the important stuff works for all throwing weapons.

There's a 18-20 throwing weapon (Crystal Chakram) though it's missing the range incriment, I'm sure most GMs will roll with "30 feet" like a normal Chakram (which is good and can be improved to 60 feet). 60 feet for normally touch range spells is pretty good

Cons: Arcane Pool is nerfed as it lacks a clause letting you enchant ammunition as a stack outside of decks and can't do keen. Has all the problems throwers normally have

[avr]

You can use touch range spells at the range of a throwing weapon. Sure, there's a use for that.

How do you improve the range increment of a throwing weapon? PF Far Shot doesn't work that way.

[deuxhero]

Distance (property) I know off the top of my head.

[Serafina]

Actually, you should be able to enchant other thrown ammunition.
The archetype states "A card caster’s arcane pool can be used to augment only ranged weapons." - meaning it actually works on ALL ranged weapons (its the spellstrike-feature thats restricted to thrown weapons). When ammunition gets enchanted by any means it always applies to a whole stack, there is no real way to apply it to only a singular piece of ammunition. That's a property of the general rules, and "He can use his arcane pool to augment an entire harrow deck as if it were ammunition." is only relevant because it allows you to treat harrow decks as ammunition for that purpose.

Now the only thrown weapons that count as ammunition for this are shuriken and the crystal chakram - Darts, Pilums etc. do not, despite still being destroyed on use like all other ammunition.
Now any reasonable GM will probably rule otherwise, but if they don't you are stuck with using enhanced harrow cards or regular thrown weapons - but then again, when using Deadly Dealer you essentially throw masterwork darts anyway, they just look different (and cost more).


Anyway, the best solution would be to start with ordinary daggers for ordinary combat - they can be used multiple times, have a 19-20 crit range, can be thrown and thus works with your spellstrike and you are proficient with them.
For longer range, you can use a ammentum-equipped Javelin - prepare them ahead of combat, after all ammentums are free and do not weigh that much. 50 feet range is quite good for a thrown weapon, though it lacks a good crit range.

Later on, you could grab a Throwing Returning Scimitar - 18-20 crit range, you don't have to spend a feat to be proficient with it and you can enchant it to your hearts content since it will not be slowly used up like ammunition would be.
You can spend a feat on Crystal Chakram proficiency if you want the extra range, but i wouldn't give them many enchantments - use your scimitar when the enemy is in range, and enhance your chakrams with your arcane pool if he isn't, it saves loads of cash.

[deuxhero]

Shoot, forgot about the throwing enchantment, that helps a ton.

[Serafina]

Glad to be of service ^.^ Especially since i love your off-list spell guide and have used it on several occasions.

But since i haven't actually answered the question posited in the OP:
Yes, Card Caster a very viable archetype.
You effectively only lose one arcana, in exchange for no longer having to be in melee. That's actually a huge boost.
Now you probably won't use actual Harrow Cards despite getting a bonus feat and a class feature to do so - Darts are simply not good weapons (low damage, crits and mediocre range) and since you still have martial weapon proficiency you have zero reason to rely on darts.
So that wastes two class features, but as i mentioned that won't matter much since you aren't trading much for them.
If you take the Close-Quarters feat, you can also throw your weapons when adjacent to an enemy - essentially regaining the melee abilities of a normal Magus. At the cost of one arcana and one feat, thats pretty damn good! Heck, most Magi take weapon finesse anyway, so its not even a net loss in feats.

If you actually WANT to use Harrow cards due to fluff, i'd suggest taking the staff magus archetype - it costs you martial weapon and armor proficiencies, but the former doesn't matter if you restrict yourself to cards and the latter is not a loss since you want good dexterity anyway.