I think this could be a good variation for people who want to play. Basically after the drop has been executed, instead of all territories starting with 3's, perhaps the armies should be randomly placed. I would suggest a version that starts with 2's before the random stage kicks in and also one that leaves 1's on the board.
I think this would be a fun option, to see you are starting with a 7 or so somewhere, and hoping it borders an enemy!