I'm going to cheat, slightly, and borrow Reno's (http://community.livejournal.com/fhplotterywheel/132718.html?thread=3416686#t3416686) explanation of materia.
Elena has different materia than Reno, and it's on her armor, and not her weapon. Her armor has materia that lets her cast Blizzard (ice spell -- more powerful than the one I mentioned for Rikku), Confuse (confuses enemy into attacking one another and helping you), Silence (makes enemy unable to cast magic), Sleep (puts enemy to sleep), and Cura (mid-level healing spell). The armor also gives her immunity to ice spells.
Without that armor, Elena couldn't cast any of those, and anyone else who borrows her armor could use it to cast those spells -- magic is not user-dependent.
Like Reno, Elena has access to more materia, but it's rare these days.
With or without materia, if Elena takes enough damage, she can cast a wall of fire called Flame Light, once, and then she'll have to take that much damage again in order to cast again. That's her only inherent magical ability.
Re: Magic abilities
Elena has different materia than Reno, and it's on her armor, and not her weapon. Her armor has materia that lets her cast Blizzard (ice spell -- more powerful than the one I mentioned for Rikku), Confuse (confuses enemy into attacking one another and helping you), Silence (makes enemy unable to cast magic), Sleep (puts enemy to sleep), and Cura (mid-level healing spell). The armor also gives her immunity to ice spells.
Without that armor, Elena couldn't cast any of those, and anyone else who borrows her armor could use it to cast those spells -- magic is not user-dependent.
Like Reno, Elena has access to more materia, but it's rare these days.
With or without materia, if Elena takes enough damage, she can cast a wall of fire called Flame Light, once, and then she'll have to take that much damage again in order to cast again. That's her only inherent magical ability.