FanficRecs By miragecoordinator
This fic in particular needs a lot more attention; it takes a concept that's mildly popular in the Japanese fandom but mostly remains in fanart, and executes in a completley different yet brilliant and fascinating way. Shirou is, as mentioned, incredibly different in an understandable way— yet still the same. The author definitely knows what they're doing, and put a lot of thought into the story and the Servants in this alternate take of the events of the Fifth Grail War. Not to mention, besides the aforementioned Tsundere Rin bonus, it contains a truly epic Crowning Moment Of Funny in which Shirou trolls Gilgamesh. With video game spoilers. It needs to be seen to be believed. For that matter, Shirou's altered dynamics with many of the characters, Gilgamesh included, are just as fascinating and interesting and fun to read.
FanficRecs By Sir Random User
Let's not forget the action-packed combat scenes. And to further mix things up for all the better, the Master/Servant teams are also totally different from what they were in the source material too, courtesy of the For Want Ofa Nail moment that happened at the start of the story. Notable pairs include Bazett/Lancer as it was meant to be in the original canon, the gut-busting epic teamup of Illya/Saber with Illya adopting a viewpoint of justice that is even more hilariously distorted than canon Shirou's, and Shirou's own Servant - a certain character from Fate/Apocrypha who's interpretation in Tainted Ideals has her very attached to him .