A larger SS would make map encounters somewhat easier and tournament encounters more difficult as enemy SS is based on your SS. You get bigger, they get bigger. Since we usually have many many more tournament encounters than map encounters the trade off is really not worth it. As
@MinMax Gamer said, "Still not worth it, nothing changed there."
Yes I wish I had skipped them
The one positive trade off is; when something like the Bulwark increases your training size it does it by % of squad size.
I would make one pedantic note.
Larger squads don't technically make tourny fights harder, just more expensive.
Look at it this way; is five squads of 100 against seven squads of 85
any easier than five squads of 200 against seven squads of 170?
But yes, skip them.
And like someone mentioned recently in another thread, you can always go back and research them if you change your mind.
But, if you do them, there are no take backs.