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How exactly does an Infantry Close assault work? A question raised on a web forum recently asked for a little more detail about how this part of the rules works and I thought it might be worthwhile recording the answers here for future reference.
John Treadaway - February 2015
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First off: a recap of what it says in the body of the rules themselves on page 112 of The Crucible (with some extra notes in red): Phase 6 - Close Assault (Phase six comes after all units has moved and/or fired)  A player's infantry TU can make close assaults against enemy TUs that his TUs are in contact with after he has resolved all movement and firing. This occurs between TUs whose bases are touching, provided that at least one of the TUs is an infantry unit. In the case of infantry versus infantry, roll a die for each TU and add its assault factor. Generic assault values are as follows: • untrained troops 0 • trained 1 • veterans 3  • elites 4  but - for listed forces - these should be marked on the Unit Cards (or Big Detachment Sheets). If two or more allied TUs are involved in the assault then add all the numbers together to get a grand total for each side. The player with the highest total wins and the loser's TU(s) is/are  destroyed and removed from the table; re-roll ties until a decisive result is achieved. Brutal stuff... Troops involved in a close assault cannot fire or be fired upon.
Infantry Close Assaulting a vehicle Infantry TUs whose bases touch a vehicle can close assault it. They are assumed to be firing weapons into grills or shoving grenades down pipes etc. Only use one infantry TU per quarter of the vehicle (maximum of 4) unless it's a really big vehicle! Even though it will be out of sequence, if the vehicle has ADS (anti-personnel defensive systems fitted - either strip mines or a box) roll an attack against infantry as they close before they can attack the vehicle and apply damage to infantry before they make contact (this is done within the infantry TU's movement phase - as they approach the vehicle. If the system is being used offensively by the vehicle to attack the infantry it is done during the vehicle's movement phase but - in each case - is, effectively, out of sequence with the firing of weapons). When (and if) the infantry do make contact with the vehicle, roll two dice for the assault and add that to the infantry TU's Close Assault factor. Remember to add + 2 for each infantry TU which has a flamethrower - or molotov for the first round of combat - (see page 118). If the vehicle's defensive value is equalled or exceeded the vehicle is damaged, so roll a die on the damage table. Do NOT use Overkill (see Optional Rule on page 111) in this instance. If the infantry and vehicle survive to a second round of combat, one
Three TUs of infantry surround a combat car - note the Defensive values is identical in all areas of a Combat Car so they gain no advantage from a rear attack
infantry unit is deemed to be on the vehicle roof and can attack that defensive value. Another TU - if available - can replace that unit in the vehicle TU quarter it has vacated. Repeat phases 2 to 6 for EACH player/detachment before moving on to Phase 7.
Three infantry TUs Close assault a Combat Car by getting to base contact, one in each quarter that the can reach. An Up Armoured Combat Car had a DV10 all round so little is gained by attacking the rear in this case...