Just a few notes.
Pioneers and assault grenadiers have different variants of the MP40. Same weapon profile, assault grenadiers are scaled up.
Same thing applies to conscript vs guard mosin, guards have a scales up rifle.
Pioneers so not scale well into the late game. They get poor combat veterancy which is meant to counter balance their base performance.
The biggest piece of advice I can give to players struggling, make sure you aren't fighting battles where you are out gunned or out numbered. If you see a Grenadier with an LMG, one conscript will not cut it. If you see two Grens, make sure you have 2 or more conscripts. If you see an assault grenadier charging you, sprint back as his ability will now be on cooldown. Pair up your conscripts so you can kite the SMG unit to death.
What you are telling me now is something which also applied prior to this patch. You didnt face 1on1 or even 1 gren lmg vs 2 vanilla cons (unless you kite with molotov-cancel to force LMG to move n lose DPS). I don´t have problems against AssG since using cover, maxim or SC will deal with them.
I just found interesting that suddenly PIO gained a new role as CQC early supports/combat units. Everyone expects/ed that a Con would win againts a PIO at everyrange.