This is, I think, the biggest nerf any rifle took, in real terms.

A bit of background. I currently run the Scrambler Rifle at proficiency 3, generally with a single complex damage mod
My raw damage per shot is approximately 94. On my level four Amarr Assault (soon to be 5) I can fire off a charged shot plus about ten more before overheat. Now, this is enough to kill most non-sentinel suits.
I start to run into problems against massively bricked armour tanks; I'm reduced to 75 damage per shot, which is a huge difference, and I quickly overheat as a result.

My damage output against armour is being reduced to approximately 57, before (gimped) damage mods.

The Scrambler Rifle is now usable on the Amarr Assault suit.

If you think you need to reload to kill one suit with a CR, even post nerf, you are doing it wrong.

As it happens these proficiency changes are hilarious and will lead to absurd amounts of dual tanking, especially after the damage mod nerf.

A lot of people are looking at the raw spreadsheet numbers and not realizing how hard the ScR is being nerfed. I keep hearing people complain that the AR is being hit harder than the ScR. I really don't think they understand how ScR users are really going to struggle to chew through armor before overheating post 1.8.

I'm actually OK with this. I think it will create a need for coordinated attacks with mixed damage to be effective, and that's a good thing. It fosters coordination, team tactics and deep/rich/interesting gameplay.

I do hope the mechanics change though to better reward players who do most of the damage, but don't land the killshot. This can be accomplished via WP allocation by %damage to target instead of a flat 25 WP assist. The guy who lands the killshot should get credit for the kill of course, but the guy who did 80% of the damage should get 80% of the WPs.