Rance IV:Allies

Rance

 * Starts at level 1
 * Can equip swords, shields, and armor
 * Has Rance Attack (at lv 5)
 * Use him as a tank in the early game, as your casters are squishy
 * The game ends if he dies, so be careful about where you position him. Do note that monsters are most likely to target him.

Sill

 * Starts at level 10
 * Can equip staves and clothes
 * Spells deal elemental damage, which may be more or less effective on certain enemies
 * Awful HP

Io

 * Starts at level 6
 * Joins in Part 2
 * Can equip staves, shortswords, and clothes
 * Deals ridiculous spell damage
 * Awful HP

Merim

 * Starts at level 4
 * Awful offensively and defensively in combat
 * Can observe monsters which helps you find how evasive they are and what types of attacks they will be weak to.
 * If you let her be defeated in 10 battles, Willis will feel sorry for her and enable her to use Angel Mirror, which heals everyone for small amount.

Rick

 * Starts at level 40
 * Much like Rance except he can move 2 spaces only.
 * His default sword Byroad is very strong, and he will be stronger than Rance in earlier parts. Its element is light, so it can one-shot enemies like Bebetar.
 * If you choose to have him on your party always you might miss some things, such as Bell's H-scene and (more importantly) having Shizuka join your party.

Julia

 * Starts at level 14
 * Pitiful stats in the beginning. Bring her to Hanny King for training.
 * After training, she will be a usable (but not amazing) melee fighter.

Kanami

 * Starts at level 30
 * Best evasion, passable HP, and large movement range. Does not hit hard, but she can serve as an evasive tank.
 * At level 35, gains the skill "Fire Bowl", which works the same as Hellfire Conflagration.
 * Monsters do not prioritize her highly, however, so some careful positioning will be necessary to make them target her.

Leila

 * Starts at level 36
 * An average warrior in every area.

Maria

 * Starts at level 21
 * Uses her Tulip #1 which has excellent range, but requires a turn for cooldown.

Shizuka

 * Starts at level 22
 * Uses a variety of high-damage spells.
 * Late into the game, she temporarily gains Level 3 magic, but this only lasts for a few battles.

Athena 2

 * Starts (and stays) at level 1
 * You also can't change her equipment. You don't need to anyways since she's a decent long-range fighter. She also has a good amount of HP.