So tonight I got to play my first game of 40K using Vassal. What is Vassal? Well, Vassal is a game engine for building and playing online adaptations of board games and card games... including 40K.
After spending about 45 minutes figuring out how to use the engine, Bob and I played a small game on a pre made board. I have to say it was pretty slick! very quick to use once you get used to it and ideal for hobbyists like us who live hundreds of miles away from each other.
Above is a screenshot of the interface, taken early in our first battle you can see that things are pretty even between our small forces. After some devastating combat my Imperial Fist force came out on top (not that it matter for such a practice game). Anyway, I would seriously recommend checking out Vassal; it's awesome!