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.