This.

I've written a lot about LAVs in the past but the crux of the situation where the LAV is concerned is that there will never be a reason to fit Small Blasters so long as the Small Rail has the power that it has, at the range that its able to operate, and with the versatility in terms of choice of targets. The Small Rail is superior in both solo and team LAV formats due to its destructive ability both against Infantry and Vehicular targets. Even if you gave Small Blasters the damage they would need to sincerely compete the Small Rail still has the upper hand due to insane destructive ability at 200 meters out. Why would I risk my pilot and my own safety to do comparable damage against solely infantry when I can use the Small Rail and give my gunner a high powered rapid tactical sniper that also damages vehicles?

As for Dropships they're still not a very viable choice due to Missiles reigning supreme. They have the combination splash radius (which is easier to make use of when looking down) and damage to the point where no other turret type really comes close from an infantry perspective. Rails have a niche when it comes to taking out vehicles with an Incubus though but the versatility of the Missile turret is hard to ignore. There would need to be a variant of the blaster that worked from a longer range with a cone of fire that applied to the entirety of the cone. Think in terms of Closed Beta HMGs with the old sharpshooter skill.

All right

A few points

The blaster is clearly not intended to compete with a landed DS on top of a building with rails. It was meant to be anti infantry - close range. What you are kind of saying, "the HMG is worse then a Forge because I can't kill vehicles and infantry with it." Not, splitting hairs, it's just a different role.

Second, it was also meant to be a drive by weapon, I don't see anyone using rails whilst moving. We were hoping that the firepower of the Blaster would be enought to hurt/kill infantry in those situations.

Third, and that's not for PC/competitiveness, it was also meant to be fun, yes, an alien concept. I like the idea of mowing down infantry with a vehicle mounted turret, or adding some serious firepower to a HAV that goes deep into enemy territory or is on point defense.

All that said and done, if the Small Blaster fits none of these criteria, we need to keep looking at it.

Last comment, would fixing Small Blasters to the std dropships be too draconian as to say, this is the intended role?