Terrain effects on assault

[Liebchen]

For the life of me, I cannot parse this sentence out:

• If any of the attacking units consist of vehicles, then the terrain modifier of the defending hex is applied to the attacker’s assault value. Note: this modifier applies to motorized and mechanized infantry when they are in Travel Mode, but not when they are Deployed.
  

Any help?

If you assault a hex with vehicles or infantry in T mode, then the protection value of the defending hex (e.g. village -30%) is applied to your assault value ( i.e. in this example -30%).

The idea here can be summarized as assaulting into close terrain is the job for infantry

This part, in particular:

• If any of the attacking units consist of vehicles, then the terrain modifier of the defending hex is applied to the attacker’s assault value.
  

I mean, the terrain modifiers apply even if there are no vehicles, right?

From the rules you are already quoting, the only terrain mods applied are hex side and the one you noted:

Terrain Modifiers in an Assault
• The maximum hex side modifier of all hex sides between attacking units and the defending units, is used to modify the attackers assault value.
• If any of the attacking units consist of vehicles, then the terrain modifier of the defending hex is applied to the attacker’s assault value. Note: this modifier applies to motorized and mechanized infantry when they are in Travel Mode, but not when they are Deployed.

So based on that, it seems like terrain mods for the hex itself are not applied except against vehicles/T mode, agreed? I tried to test it but not sure what I did is valid as the calcs don't show all modifiers. But when I tested assaulting into a forest versus clear, the modifiers shown were the same so I do believe this confirms no terrain mods apply except as noted.

I appreciate your effort, and you may be right, but the rule says "the terrain modifier of the defending hex" not the hex side.

Besides, I can think of no logical reason why deployed units vehicular units would not be affected by a hex side whereas a vehicular unit in column formation would be. They would, after all, be crossing the same hex side.

Also, why differentiate between vehicles and infantry in the first place?

This rule really needs some clarification. Is anyone close to JT available to interpret what he may have meant?