From the early 16th century onwards, sovereigns once again began commissioning ships for military purposes. At the same time, efforts began to classify these vessels.
In England, the ranking system based on the number of guns carried became established from the 1620s onwards. Because even after artillery became the primary weapon, naval battles often descended into one-on-one duels. This system was intended to ensure that opponents of roughly equal strength faced each other.
Although naval warfare continued to evolve, classification based on the number of guns remained the primary system in the Royal Navy until the 19th century. This was in contrast to the French Navy, for example.