FAQ: Reviving AntiArcher Rogues: Not Armed when not Threatening?

[VIPfr33dom]

About a week ago, I planned and theory-built a rogue with one of it's concepts around getting sneak attack through improvised weapon attacks, unlike what's been around on improvised weapon styles.
But before trying her out I did a bit of research and found that I can't do it the way I had intended but that it may be possible against archers! Which would totally grant everyone's rogues a cool fun niche on the battlefield for the acceptable investment of 1 feat (Catch-Off Guard), which can be picked at level 1, working well with 'Unchained Rogues'.

But clarification would be required as it's a narrow case in-between if it would be legal or not, the FAQ candidate is just below: FAQ Click

Here is the relevant information:

Rules:

Attacks of Opportunity:

Attacks of Opportunity
Sometimes a combatant in a melee lets her guard down or takes a reckless action. In this case, combatants near her can take advantage of her lapse in defense to attack her for free. These free attacks are called attacks of opportunity. See the Attacks of Opportunity diagram for an example of how they work.

Threatened Squares: You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your turn. Generally, that means everything in all squares adjacent to your space (including diagonally). An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If you're unarmed, you don't normally threaten any squares and thus can't make attacks of opportunity.

Reach Weapons: Most creatures of Medium or smaller size have a reach of only 5 feet. This means that they can make melee attacks only against creatures up to 5 feet (1 square) away. However, Small and Medium creatures wielding reach weapons threaten more squares than a typical creature. In addition, most creatures larger than Medium have a natural reach of 10 feet or more.

Provoking an Attack of Opportunity: Two kinds of actions can provoke attacks of opportunity: moving out of a threatened square and performing certain actions within a threatened square.

Moving: Moving out of a threatened square usually provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening opponents. There are two common methods of avoiding such an attack—the 5-foot step and the withdraw action.

Performing a Distracting Act: Some actions, when performed in a threatened square, provoke attacks of opportunity as you divert your attention from the battle. Table: Actions in Combat notes many of the actions that provoke attacks of opportunity.

Remember that even actions that normally provoke attacks of opportunity may have exceptions to this rule.

Making an Attack of Opportunity: An attack of opportunity is a single melee attack, and most characters can only make one per round. You don't have to make an attack of opportunity if you don't want to. You make your attack of opportunity at your normal attack bonus, even if you've already attacked in the round..
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/Source: Combat

Types of attacks:

Standard Actions
Most of the common actions characters take, aside from movement, fall into the realm of standard actions.

Attack
Making an attack is a standard action.

Melee Attacks: With a normal melee weapon, you can strike any opponent within 5 feet. (Opponents within 5 feet are considered adjacent to you.) Some melee weapons have reach, as indicated in their descriptions. With a typical reach weapon, you can strike opponents 10 feet away, but you can't strike adjacent foes (those within 5 feet).

Unarmed Attacks: Striking for damage with punches, kicks, and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon, except for the following:

Attacks of Opportunity: Attacking unarmed provokes an attack of opportunity from the character you attack, provided she is armed. The attack of opportunity comes before your attack. An unarmed attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity from other foes, nor does it provoke an attack of opportunity from an unarmed foe.

An unarmed character can't take attacks of opportunity (but see "Armed" Unarmed Attacks, below).

"Armed" Unarmed Attacks: Sometimes a character's or creature's unarmed attack counts as an armed attack. A monk, a character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, a spellcaster delivering a touch attack spell, and a creature with natural physical weapons all count as being armed (see natural attacks).

Note that being armed counts for both offense and defense (the character can make attacks of opportunity).

Unarmed Strike Damage: An unarmed strike from a Medium character deals 1d3 points of bludgeoning damage (plus your Strength modifier, as normal). A Small character's unarmed strike deals 1d2 points of bludgeoning damage, while a Large character's unarmed strike deals 1d4 points of bludgeoning damage. All damage from unarmed strikes is nonlethal damage. Unarmed strikes count as light weapons (for purposes of two-weapon attack penalties and so on).

Dealing Lethal Damage: You can specify that your unarmed strike will deal lethal damage before you make your attack roll, but you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll. If you have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, you can deal lethal damage with an unarmed strike without taking a penalty on the attack roll.

Ranged Attacks: With a ranged weapon, you can shoot or throw at any target that is within the weapon's maximum range and in line of sight. The maximum range for a thrown weapon is five range increments. For projectile weapons, it is 10 range increments. Some ranged weapons have shorter maximum ranges, as specified in their descriptions.
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Combat

Catch Off-Guard:

Catch Off-Guard (Combat)
Foes are surprised by your skilled use of unorthodox and improvised weapons.

Benefit: You do not suffer any penalties for using an improvised melee weapon. Unarmed opponents are flat-footed against any attacks you make with an improvised melee weapon.

Normal: You take a –4 penalty on attack rolls made with an improvised weapon.
/Source: Core Feat, Catch off-guard

More chain Improvised Feats:

Throw Anything (Combat)
You are used to throwing things you have on hand.

Benefit: You do not suffer any penalties for using an improvised ranged weapon. You receive a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls made with thrown splash weapons.

Normal: You take a –4 penalty on attack rolls made with an improvised weapon.
/Source: Core Feat, Throw Anything

Improvised Weapon Mastery (Combat)
You can turn nearly any object into a deadly weapon, from a razor-sharp chair leg to a sack of flour.

Prerequisites: Catch Off-Guard or Throw Anything, base attack bonus +8.

Benefit: You do not suffer any penalties for using an improvised weapon. Increase the amount of damage dealt by the improvised weapon by one step (for example, 1d4 becomes 1d6) to a maximum of 1d8 (2d6 if the improvised weapon is two-handed). The improvised weapon has a critical threat range of 19–20, with a critical multiplier of ×2.
/Source: Core Feat, Improvised Weapon Mastery

[Claxon]

I'm not really sure I see a question here, but I'll tell you this probably isn't a good thing to try.

Most archers should have some sort of backup weapon equipped at all times. Usually armor spikes or a gauntlet, as both can be equipped while using a bow.

[VIPfr33dom]

FAQ Candidate:
1. I've understood that 'Armed' characters, per the rules in the combat section, are capable of making attacks of opportunity into the squares they threaten (typically adjacent squares). Are characters wielding ranged weapons considered 'armed' in regard to the combat feat 'Catch Off-Guard'?
2. And what about the characters whose weapon doesn't threaten the user of catch off-guard, are they considered 'armed' against attacks from squares which they don't threaten (such as a reach-weapon-weilder against an adjacent Catch-Off-Guard user)?

[Claxon]

You're understanding is incorrect. Armed would in this case simply mean having a weapon. That ranged weapons don't threaten doesn't matter.

You would need to disarm an archer before you could consider them as flat-footed using catch-off guard.

You're conflating the ability to threaten and make attacks of opportunities with being "armed". Admittedly it's not always clear in the way things are written but being armed doesn't mean "threatens", but being able to threaten does mean you're armed.

No FAQ is needed here, sorry.

[Dave Justus]

All who are unarmed can't threaten.

Not all who can't threaten are unarmed.

[VIPfr33dom]

Explain this:
Note that being armed counts for both offense and defense (the character can make attacks of opportunity).

It speaks for itself, a character who can't make attacks of opportunity with said weapon isn't considered armed.

Edit: except if a specific text says so.. Which ranged weapons have.
So I've changed my view on it.
Too bad though, it had been fun if it'd worked.