@DiverMarv from Druids Wild Shape: "Transforming doesn’t break your concentration on a spell you’ve already cast..." This means using Wild Shape would not prevent using this spell.

So, the creatures would attack as you have ordered them, but if run explicitly, a little more specific than you worded.

“attack any of my enemies”; in this case, I would say they attack any creature that you attack, or that attacks you. So I would recommend "attack the enemies of myself and my group" and have your allies next to you at time of casting.

“attack any and all Orcs”; I guess if you genocidal, this could work. Otherwise you might want to be a little more specific about location.

Of course, if your GM decides that the creatures know your intent, then your phrases are fine, just be clear about your intent to your GM so problems dont arise.

My Dm let me choose the creature I want, so long as I don't overdo it. I'm a power gamer, so I have difficulty finding that line. I created a roll/statblock table for this spell because I figured it would make it more interesting to use if it were (relatively) random. (Last session, I rolled mules, so a mule kicked a hydra to death. That was funny.) I figure that I can work with whatever I get, and that'll keep it from getting boring in combat. I just need to be able to quickly figure out what the creature is good for. That's where my table comes in. It's a bit dense, but once you're used to it, not having to scroll as much is awesome. Feel free to leave constructive suggestions.

Conjure Animals Spreadsheet

In the google docs format : Here

Hope you find it useful.

I am RP'ing it as it being difficult to get a specific animal in the middle of combat. I pick the CR and then roll on the Land/air list, or Sea list respectively. Out of combat, I can choose whatever seems best.

My Dm and I figured out a compromise. Out of combat, I can summon whatever I need... in combat, I roll on a table (excluding ineligible options like sharks on land.) I made the table to help me wrap my mind around the strengths and weaknesses of each animal quicker. DM knows I'm not abusing my combat options, and I don't have to worry about over-policing my min max side.

Can you stack conjure animals? As in summon on one turn and then summon again on your next? I have a druid player who wants to know. Could get pretty crazy but im a DM who believes fun comes first and the difficulty of the encounter is on me. Should I allow this? Cant find anything specific on whether or not the initial spell needs to end before you can conjure again.

Spell requires concentration, so if the player cast it again, the first spell is terminated. 

Quote from Retribune >>

The player has the choice of animals within the guidelines of the challenge rating. The examples they list are actually really good as I had a player use the Saber-Toothed Tiger plenty of times.

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Quote from SabreRunner >>

As a DM, how do you handle this spell? Do you choose the animals or let the player choose?

This spell is one that really shouldn't be debated about. The spell states that you choose the Beast and not the CR, the amount of those Beasts you create is based on their challenge rating. The Beasts that are created is rules as written up to the player. That however means nothing to some people because the rules as "intended" was for the DM to choose. I am here to inform those people that on those grounds they are still wrong, because rules as written beats rules as intended. Anyone saying that the DM should choose because letting the players look at a Beasts stat sheet is cheating clearly hasn't ever played a Druid because a Druid is going to be looking at low CR Beasts stat sheets for Wild Shape no matter what you do. Finally, I want to inform myself that I am also wrong, because if you are the DM in this instance, it is entirely up to you how this spell works regardless of what the rules say, because the #1 rule of D&D is that the DM makes the rules. If you feel like being a jackass and limiting a spell just because it's mildly difficult to deal with, go ahead, choose the animals, and make your player feel like shit when the Owls they were going to summon to do recon flop onto the ground as fish, wasting a 3rd level spell slot and making it clear to everyone in the party that they aren't going to be having much fun with you as the DM. It's your choice, I just hope you make the right one.

So an interesting question regarding this spell. I had a Druid in my game cast it and summon 4 giant goats in a line in the air above an enemy and let the goats crash down on them for damage. i wasn’t sure how to rule on this so I used falling damage with a Dex save for the bad guy to avoid each goat. I honestly didn’t like the goofy vibe of using the spell that way but didn’t see how the spell wouldn’t allow that. Anyone else run into this issue, and how did you rule on it?  Going forward I’m thinking of only allowing conjured creatures to be conjured where they would normally be. No dolphins on land, no eagles in the water, and no goats in the air.

What would happen if a player summoned, say, a grizzly bear directly on top of an enemy's head? What kind of damage should I roll for the crushing damage?

Is this spell limited to these creatures? Or could I summon, say, a cow?

you can have 32 flying snakes lol

player choses

 I think it's hilarious and over powered that you can summon 8 horses with a level 3 spell

Can a player cast this spell then cast speak with animals and communicate with the beasts? Or does the fact that they are fey prevent this?

Making an awful lot assumptions about my DM here.

The best advice I can give is to talk to your DM. It doesn’t really matter how the spell is intended or worded  

The DM might not want to deal with choosing your beasts as long as you aren’t abusing it.

I’m playing a Druid and talked to my DM. My information at that time indicated that the DM chooses. So, as a compromise I made a binder full of beasts with a Randomizer chart. I choose the CR and, based on the biome, I roll dice to determine the beasts that are summoned. For example, we are in a desert and I want to summon 2 CR1 beasts. My chart has 3 options (Giant Hyena, Giant Vulture, Lion). I roll a D6 and a 1 or 2 gets me Hyenas, a 3 or 4 gets me Vultures, and 5 or 6 gets me Lions.

I also have the info for all of the possible beasts so that the DM doesn’t have to deal with it. 

Meant to quote someone here but ****ed it up. Whoops. 

Quote from Superhotpants1 >>

Can a player cast this spell then cast speak with animals and communicate with the beasts? Or does the fact that they are fey prevent this?

 I don’t think it would work. This spell conjures fey spirits in the shape of animals, not animals. Plus, the conjured creatures obey commands anyway so you shouldn’t really need to use another spell, unless you are hoping for a reply. 

Quote from Journer >>

@Astrocrab you are misreading the spell. It explicitly says "You summon" (so talking about the person casting), then says Choose and lists options. There is NO mention of DM choice in the spell, only that they have the statistics. (which means players cannot surprise the DM with creatures they just make up)

 sage advice strongly disagrees

Waitwaitwait. You're telling me I can just summon 8 wolves in an action, no material components in one turn? As a 5th level druid? And they'll all have advantage because of pack tactics? This spell seems broken AF, my next character gonna be a druid for sure