Turn 1: Buy Hunter, Transport, play card to increase revenue (make sure you have at least 20 gold for next turn. Send 1 Trooper each to capture the two countries to the east of the player 1 starting location. (NOT a Trooper to the west) Send all but 1 or 2 Troopers North.
Turn 2: Build Academy and Parliament* on the eastern countries. Send Hunter through two western countries, Trooper in Transport to get island. Spread the troops you sent north through the two northern countries.
(* Building the Parliament and Academy early lets you have 2 of each building for the cost of just 1. If you capture and try to build later, it will cost you twice as much.)
Turn 3: Invade West Enquetel, capture it and next turn you will have a steady income 20 research points with relatively little risk, if you capture W. Enquetel early enough before the enemy can build up forces.
(I like to wait at least one more turn myself, if I'm lucky the enemy will build a war factory there so I can capture it for free).
After that, you own 10 countries to NW AI's 9, NE's 9, and SE AI's 8, with 2 countries up for grabs still. Not really much more than anyone else, and you have 20 Research points a turn. If I had spent all my RP by turn 3, I can still buy Juggernauts on turn 5.
You can try rapid Hunter expansion on LR, but it's not likely to be faster, there will be a lot more battles, and you risk overextending yourself.
