I think using movement limitations and a limit of 10 is a good variant. As for piling everyone in West Russia, yes, that could happen, but then Russia could pile everything in the capitol and hold you off, then all of your other territories are free for UK. It's very easy to try and win in one round by sending everyone after a capitol like that, and inevitably it's what everyone did the first time we played that way, but then you learn pretty quick that people are going to second-guess that strategy and you've got to cover your ass on all sides. In the end, people end up going with more realistic, and ultimately more enjoyable, starting troop placements.

The first round of play is often the most important. A great way to mix up the game is to change the starting units and thier locations. Two variants:

Before the first round, each country can trade in three units for thier cash value and the nspend that cash on whatever they want, and put those units where ever they want. Most often, people will cash in expensive units like battleships, bombers, or industrial complexes and buy extra tanks, fighters, or whatever it is they want. This has awesome potential to change the start of the game.

Version two, you start with all the same units, but can re-arrange thier starting locations around your territories. Again, all kinds of different starting strategies can be found.

In both of the above cases, players must work out what they 're buying and where they're putting things on the map WITHOUT ACTUALLY DOING IT. You write it down on paper, then when everyone has done it you reveal your plans to the rest of the players. This ensures you can't tailor your plans to what other people are doing, and it makes people awfully surprised to see what thier enemies are plotting.

I voted Japan, but agree that US has been undervalued. They have a whole lot of options as to how they want to play, the first and largest of which is who they want to fight. UK is generally wrapped up in Germany, and Russia has to fight both fronts whether they like it or not, but the US can concentrate in the Pacific or head over to Europe, with a plethora of strategy options for both.

You make a good point there. Hadn't really put that much mathematical thought into it.

Japan and UK are a tie for me because they both are spread out across a large portion of the map and both have lots of naval and air battles, which are the most fun I think.

I and 4 of my friends are pretty hardcore players who are looking for new opponents. Are there any torunaments in the Virginia/Maryland/DC area over the summer?

That could be a useful strategy for knocking out German ships in the north stlantic as well. I think that would be more useful for Russia than the mediterranean. because it's always been my experience that Germany needs that transport to keep people in Norway and attacking Karelia.

Something fun for a group of experienced players. There are an awful lot of occassions that call for drinking, but because A&A takes so long to play anyway, it's usually spaced out enough not to get anyone too hammered. To really play it right, you'll need many different kinds of alcohol. Read below.

For a little cultural flare, try having each player drink a national beverage:
Russia: Vodka
Germany: Beer (a "shot" becomes chugging a whole beer)
UK: Gin
Japan: Sake (a "shot" becomes a glassful)
US: Bourbon
Also, you'll be wanting red and white wine for the France/Italy rules. Sake is sometimes hard to find, so you can always substitute white wine for that if you like. Notice that the Allied powers have stronger drinks than the Axis, so the Axis must therefore drink more of it in order to make things fair.

Rules that apply to all nations:
Lose a territory - take a sip
Lose your capital - take a shot of your captor's liquor
Capture a capital - take a shot in celebration
Do a Bombing Raid - drink a "sake bomb" (a shot of sake dropped into a glass of beer)
Build an Industrial Complex - take a shot
Move an AA gun - take a sip

Capture France (western europe) - drink 1/2 glass of white wine.
Capture Italy (southern europe) - drink 1/2 glass of red wine.
Capture any non-Capital territory with an I.C. - take a shot
Gain Technology - take a shot
Submerge a submarine - take a sip
Sink a transport with troops on it - take a shot

"Odd Territories" rule:
Make any other player drink a shot if you occupy any of the following territories with 3 or more land units:
New Zealand
Panama
West Indies
Gibraltar
Madagascar
Eastern Canada
Can only be used once per territory, per nation.

Nation-Specific Rules:
"Russian Winter" - at any time in the game, Russia may pay 12 IPCs to make an enemy drink a shot of vodka.

"Kamikaze" - whenever a Japanese fighter scores a hit from behind the casualty line, its enemy must take a sip.

"Blitzkrieg" - whenever a German tank takes over two territories in the same turn, the nation that lost the territories must shotgun a beer.

"RAF" - Anyone who invades the UK and loses must drink 1/2 a shot for every fighter left alive.

"A-Bombs" - The defending nation must take a drink every time a unit is destroyed by a US bomber.