I have been playing with a Seringapatam-class frigate in Alibre with an eye towards a future lasercut kit. My question for the assembled builders and educated hangers-on is thus: Seringapatam (and her descendants) carried 46 guns and were rated by the Royal Navy as 5th Rates. In our rules, 46 guns puts them as being 4th Rates. So, when a conflict between the official designation and our designation occurs, do we go with # of guns carried, or the official designation? Secondarily: Many ships carried a variable number of guns in their careers; what number of guns is the 'official number' for our purposes? As-built? Max carried?
Number of guns. The British were sometimes foolish about their classifications. They probably called it a 5th rate because 4th-rates were still considered ships-of-the-line back then. The Seringapatam class is neat. If I build one, I'd call it HMS Meander.
