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Shortly I am going to be plaing my first real game with the new DA codex. I have played 3 games to get used to the new dex, but now I'm trying to build a winning force rather than just putting as many diffrent units as possible. I have been left with two queries:

1) Sammel or Belial. Being a multi wing force I have enough bikes and termies. I'm planing on running 3 RW knights, which are 6 points cheaper if I get Sammel, so there is 4 points between them. The question is Plasma cannon or Belials homer...

2) Ravenwing Darkshroud. I can't work out if it is a useful adition if you want to take it, or a must for bike heavy forces.

Any further sugestions for good things to think about for a multi wing force would be much appriciated.

At the moment it is just Termis, DW squads with attack bikes and 3 RW knights. I'm tempted to add a banner to the RW knights, but I'm not sure.

I'm a fan of Belial, but I absolutely suck with Fast Attack. That said, it's all a matter of how you plan on running your army.

Everything below is coming from a complete noob who's lost every game, so far... Assume huge inaccuracies and potentially awful tactics.

Do you plan on utilizing Deathwing Assault? Belial, and any unit he's in, don't scatter on Deep Strike, but you would have to get him out and then hope the rest of your termies can take advantage of his homer before turn 4 -- I've had nothing but bad luck relying on standard Reserves rolls. Terminators are also considerably more resilient than the bikers, so they're much better objective holders when you want to just camp an objective.

Also, what role are your bikes playing? Anti-tank? Anti-infantry? If you're going anti-tank, they have to get dangerously close to utilize Melta. Hit and Run will help their survivability -- if you get within 6 inches, expect to be assaulted -- but they're still squishy. I don't know what it is about my bikers, but they can't seem to make an armor save to, well, save their lives. All things considered, though, if you can keep them alive through turn 4, their mobility can allow you to snatch up an objective halfway across the table.

Have you considered Azzy for your HQ? I know he's more expensive, but he won't lock down your strategy.

As for the Darkshroud, I'm still waiting to see it used well in a batrep before I consider running one.

I'm in much the same place. I have won 1 game in the last year

My bikes don't seem to last long, hence the dark shroud, but Sammael has done well for me in the past, but I almost never used him in the old codex due to how much cheaper belial was.

I use the bikes as anti infantry, leaving tanks to my thunder hammer and chain fist termies, and to attack bikes with MMs. I load them up with plasma and send them after light infantry and light tanks, leaving TEQ and av 13/14 to the termies.

I don't like to use Azzy because he needs an escort, which means a land raider and a big change to the force.

As a Dark Angel player here are a few tactics I have found highly effective.

1) 5man tactical squads with a lascannon.

2)Devastator squad with 4 ML

3)Azreal doesnt need a land raider escort, 9 tacticals with 1 plasma in either a rhino or a drop pod has worked well for me.

4)Ravenwing Knights 6 man squad with a single nade launcher and a melta bombs on the huntmaster, use the speed to avoid the main line and hunt down light vehicles/ heavy weapons units.

6)Command squad with 5 meltaguns in a drop pod comes in at 185 points and is great for a first turn landraider kill

As to your specific questions.

I've had great success using belial in a 5 man termi squad with a AC to assure a first turn rear armour.

Sammeals speeder is very good as long as you dont let it get assaulted/attacked from behind

Darkshrouds only really work if you have running several Ravenwing squads/speeders/knights and even then it limits you flexibilty as it forces you to keep clumped together.