Conscript merge doesn't give them shock troop armor; you are better off reinforcing shocks when possible to get that armor back.
not really. it saves a lot of manpower while keeping the damage output of the shock troops high. ok they become more fragile. but when the whole squad is made of conscripts even the enemy gets a bit of a surprise when they find out they are shocks. and the saving of manpower allows you to keep them in the fight while they gain veterancy. you just need to be more mindful of their weakened state. and use them to root out emplacements supported by actual conscripts.