PoE 2 Murkshaft and Bursting Fen Toad Skill: A Deadly Combo for Chaos-Based Builds

In Path of Exile 2, players looking to embrace chaos damage and poison mechanics have found a powerful new ally in the unique quiver Murkshaft. This item doesn't just boost your poison potential—it introduces an entirely new offensive skill: Bursting Fen Toad. Here's a breakdown of how Murkshaft works, what makes Bursting Fen Toad stand out, and why poison-focused builds should take note.

What Is Murkshaft?

Murkshaft is a unique Toxic Quiver with a minimum level requirement of 66, determined by the level of the skill it grants. The quiver introduces a unique implicit skill: Bursting Fen Toad, which can scale from level 10 to 19 depending on the item’s roll. As a result, its power is tied directly to its implicit level—higher rolls unlock stronger versions of the skill.

Key Stats:

• Grants Level 10-19 Bursting Fen Toad (attack skill)
• 10–15% chance to Poison on Hit with Attacks
• Adds (6–10) to (13–17) physical damage to attacks
• Restores 10–15 Mana per Enemy Killed
• 10–20% increased Poison Duration
• Additional 20–30% chance to Poison on Hit
• Blinds targets when they are poisoned

The combination of blind, poison, and sustain makes it a versatile option for builds that rely on DoT (damage-over-time) and evasion tactics.

If you're looking to fully optimize your poison build with Murkshaft and Bursting Fen Toad, it's a good idea to buy PoE 2 Currency early on so you can invest in the right support gems, gear upgrades, and passive tree respecs without slowing down your progression.

The Mechanics Behind Bursting Fen Toad

Bursting Fen Toad is a triggered Attack, AoE, Physical, and Chaos skill. It summons a poisonous toad that leaps toward enemies and explodes, dealing AoE damage and applying 100% poison on hit. The visual is as nasty as the effect—enemies can quickly succumb to the stacking chaos damage.

Skill Highlights:

• 25% chance to Trigger on Kill (can be increased via quality)
• Toad explosion radius: 2.5 meters
• Base Physical Damage: 6–171 to 9–256 depending on level
• Guaranteed Poison on Hit
• Critical Strike Chance: 5%
• Attack Damage scaling: 225%–702% of base

The attack deals a mix of burst and poison, meaning both immediate and lingering damage. The radius isn’t massive, but with proper scaling from AoE and poison nodes, it becomes deadly in clustered encounters.

Scaling and Usage Tips

1. Trigger Builds Thrive Here: With a passive 25% chance to activate on kill, Bursting Fen Toad fits naturally into builds that emphasize chain kills—like Toxic Rain or Caustic Arrow setups.
2. Blind + Poison = Safety: Murkshaft’s blind-on-poison synergizes well with Evasion builds. Poison an enemy, and they're immediately impaired. This gives ranged characters extra survivability, especially in high-density maps.
3. Mana Sustain Is Underrated: The 10–15 Mana gain on kill helps offset the cost of rapid-fire or multi-projectile attacks. It’s not huge, but enough to smooth out gameplay in prolonged fights.
4. Poison Duration & Chance Stacking: Combined, the stats on Murkshaft allow you to hit near 100% poison uptime, especially with added poison support gems and ascendancy nodes. Builds using Assassin or Pathfinder ascendancies benefit immensely.

How to Get Murkshaft

Murkshaft can drop anywhere in Wraeclast. It’s also chanceable, meaning players can use an Orb of Chance on a Toxic Quiver base item to potentially obtain it. Though not exclusive to any league mechanic or boss, its drop rate is not particularly common, making it a desirable target for quiver-focused characters.

Murkshaft isn’t just a unique with some niche modifiers—it’s a full-on enabler of a distinct playstyle. With the Bursting Fen Toad skill acting like a passive mini-nuke that chains kills, it adds both flavor and lethality to poison builds. While not a meta-defining item, it offers a compelling alternative for players who enjoy chaos-based DoT builds or who want a reliable source of area damage triggered during mapping.