This is not nearly the time to play fantasy, the only reason I have an army is I got a generous offer. 40k is about as popular as magic at the store, everyday there is someone up for a game and tournaments are huge (fantasy's record is 4 people). Also, every two months going to plainville is not bad since you surely realize it's only 10 min. Longer of a drive.
this is basically the big advantage 40k has over fanatasy. it can be a little tricky to find fantasy games unless you know people, whereas 40k players have to be beaten off with a stick
40k is a much more enjoyable game since rules are very accessable, where fantasy there's so many bizzare and context sensitive rules which almost make no sense. To put it blatantly, a dwarf with speed 3 can charge over water, through a castle and to the other end of the board on a charge. When this can happen you have to wonder why.
agree here that the learning curve for fantasy is much higher, one of the reasons that i suspect 40k appeals to a much younger crowd (the other being space marines). and in a game with mutant, man-sized, coked-out rats using nuclear technology against a renaissance-era civilization that hasn't advanced technologically in thousands of years but can build a tank, how fast a dwarf moves is what you're concerned with?
40k is pretty much pick a marine army, dark eldar, or (maybe) mech guard and win. Plus doubles tournaments are so much fun to play in. I also must admit I hate movement trays. Just the fact when a regiment of 40 guys tips over trying to move them blows, 40j you run forth and kill.
to each their own, i personally don't care for space marines or doubles events. with the exception of magnetic move trays in fantasy, this post is pretty accurate- pick marines, run forth and kill. that sums up 40k for the last 3 editions (can't speak for 2nd, didn't play then).
If you don't want to hear opinions from people who actually play both games then why do you bother to post something in the first place. Why would anyone bother to help someone who disregards everything they say? If you can't make up your mind, then buy yourself every army of both games fit about $8,436.98 and see which you like because obviously someone who plays knows far less about the game than you do.
this pretty much illustrates why i left 40k, alot of people have an attitude like this. seriously dude?
that and the endless moron-proof space marine armies spam coupled with the use of tactics beginning and ending in the "writing army list" phase pretty much killed 40k for me. sucks too cuz i think the fluff is great and some of the models are top-notch. in the end, my advice is start 40k if you want to play 100% of the time, play fantasy if you love the armies but are willing to play 30-40% of the time.