okay, so the card reads:

Target attacker gets +3 DEF this attack. If that character has the Crime Lords affiliation, it gets an additional +3 DEF this attack while protected and an additional +3 DEF this attack while attacking a character with a higher cost.


So, does the character have to be protected to get the bonus from having a lower cost than the defender, or is that +3 seperate?

Thanks in advance, guys

The CL character could get the +3 for attacking a character with a higher cost without being protected.