Every spell in Prodigy Math belongs to an element, and elements decide how much damage a spell does. A spell that is strong against an enemy’s element deals more damage, while a weak one deals less, so picking the right spell matters as much as answering the question.
What are spells
Spells are the attacks your wizard casts in battle. When your child answers a math question correctly, their wizard casts the chosen spell, and the enemy loses hearts. A wrong answer means a missed move, so the spell never goes off.
Every spell has an element, a power level, and a cost in Magic Points. Stronger spells cost more Magic Points, and Magic Points refill by answering questions. That is the core loop of every battle in Prodigy: answer, cast, refill, repeat.
The spell list has changed over time. A major Battle Remake in 2023 replaced the older spells with a new set, so guides written before then list spells that no longer exist. If a spell name in an old guide does not appear in your game, that is why.
The elements
Prodigy Math has nine elements: Astral, Shadow, Physical, Neutral, Fire, Water, Ice, Storm and Plant. Every spell and every creature in the game belongs to one of them.
Seven of the elements have strengths and weaknesses against each other. Physical and Neutral are the exceptions: they have no strengths and no weaknesses, so they deal the same damage to every enemy. They are reliable, but they never get the bonus damage that a well matched elemental spell gets.
Each element is also tied to a place in the game world. Fire creatures gather around Bonfire Spire, Water around Shipwreck Shore, Ice in the Shiverchill Mountains, Plant in Firefly Forest, Storm in Skywatch, and Shadow in the Dark Tower. If you need a particular element, the map tells you where to look.
Strengths and weaknesses chart
| Element | Strong against | Weak against | Often found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire | Ice | Water | Bonfire Spire |
| Water | Fire | Storm | Shipwreck Shore |
| Ice | Plant | Fire | Shiverchill Mountains |
| Plant | Storm | Ice | Firefly Forest |
| Storm | Water | Plant | Skywatch |
| Shadow | Astral | Astral | The Dark Tower |
| Physical | None | None | Everywhere |
| Neutral | None | None | Everywhere |
This chart comes from the Prodigy community wiki, because Prodigy’s own site does not publish a full chart. The game changes over time, so check the current spell list in the game if a matchup looks different from what you see here.
How to choose the right spell
Before you cast, look at the enemy. The enemy’s element is shown in battle, and the chart above tells you which of your spells will hit hardest. A fire spell against an ice enemy deals more damage than the same spell against a water enemy, even though the math question behind both casts is the same.
Keep spells of different elements ready. A wizard with four fire spells is helpless against a water enemy, while a wizard with fire, water and plant spells always has a good answer. Variety beats power when the enemy’s element keeps changing.
In duels, spell choice matters even more. Both players are balanced to Level 50 in a duel, so level gives no advantage. The duel is decided by which player picks better spells and answers more questions correctly.
Wands and relics
Wands grant spells. When your child buys or finds a new wand, check which spells it grants before you pay, because the spell list matters more than the wand’s look. A wand with a strong spell of the right element is worth more than a wand with a higher power number and the wrong element.
Relics are special items that grant your wizard an extra spell, often a powerful one. Relics come from story progress, so they cannot simply be bought in a shop. When your child earns a relic, read what its spell does and which element it belongs to, then fit it into the spell list.
How to learn new spells
New spells come from three places: levelling up, new wands, and story progress. As your child levels up, new spells open up. As they explore new zones, they find new wands and relics. And as they finish quests, the story hands them spells they could not get any other way.
If your child feels stuck with the same few spells, the fix is usually to level up or to explore a new zone, not to buy something. New spells follow progress, and progress follows answering questions.
Tip: do not fill every spell slot with the same element. One fire spell is useless against a water enemy, so keep at least two different elements ready.
Frequently asked questions
How many elements are there in Prodigy?
Nine: Astral, Shadow, Physical, Neutral, Fire, Water, Ice, Storm and Plant. Physical and Neutral have no strengths or weaknesses.
Which element is strongest?
No single element is strongest, because every element except Physical and Neutral has a weakness. Fire beats Ice but loses to Water, and Water beats Fire but loses to Storm. The strongest choice is always the one that matches the enemy in front of you.
How do I get new spells?
By levelling up, by finding new wands, and by making story progress. Relics, which grant powerful extra spells, come from the story and cannot simply be bought.
What do relics do?
Relics grant your wizard an extra spell, often a powerful one. They come from story progress, so keep playing through the quests to earn them.
Do elements affect pets too?
Yes. Pets have elements just like wizards, and the same strengths and weaknesses apply to them. A water pet takes more damage from a storm spell, and a storm pet takes less damage from a water spell.