Manticore Eternal

Afflict turns a block into a tax, and this body is calibrated to make that tax sting. With five power and no evasion, the defender facing an unblocked swing takes the full hit; commit a blocker instead and they still surrender three life off the top the instant the creature becomes blocked, before combat damage is assigned. A chump block stops the five but not the afflict, so the cheapest possible answer still costs life. The one clean out that dodges the drain entirely is removal cast before blocks are declared: kill it during the declare-attackers step or in the beginning of combat and there is no block to trigger the three. But the defending player has to have that answer ready, at that window, or the choice collapses back into which resource they would rather spend. A 5/4 sits at the aggressive end of how hard a midsize creature can press this squeeze: big enough that getting through ends games quickly, taxing enough that blocking only changes the currency. The compulsory-attack rider is the price the design pays for that pressure. It cannot be held back to defend, cannot wait for a counterattack, and walks into removal and fight effects on a schedule the opponent can read. Where a plain beater asks whether you can block it, this one asks whether you can afford to, and unless you answer it before combat, either choice drains you.