The deployment history of the
Leviathan class is a complicated matter indeed.
To recap from
this thread (please correct if wrong):
- In 3044, stats were drawn up for the
Leviathan-class battleship and the Ghost Bears pay the Ravens to build two of them - the
Leviathan and the
Great Bear.
- By the time of the Great Refusal the ships are still under construction. Clan Ghost Bear decides to scap the initial plans and redesigns the unfinished hulls to become
Leviathan-class Heavy Transport vessels. They are completed as such.
- Once the move is complete, the Ghost Bears begin construction of a third vessel at Alshain: The
Rasalhague. After it slipped its moors, the
Leviathan and the
Great Bear are modified into battleships, but because they were built as transports it is not possible to re-build them as
Leviathans as per the original design specifications. Instead, the
Leviathan II-class is drawn up, essentially a battleship variant for the transports. It is not identical to the original
Leviathan battleship.
(It stands to reason that the
Leviathan II is a less efficient design than the original
Leviathan because of the limitations of converting an existing class of transport, as opposed to building a WarShip from scratch; but that is not what this thread is about.)
- Later on, the Steel Vipers obtain the original
Leviathan plans, upgraded it with some new/advanced technologies, and built the CSV
Perigard Zalman, calling it the
Leviathan Prime class.
Now here's my question:
What class was the
Rasalhague?
Its keel was laid down when the Ghost Bears didn't need transports anymore, and as a result it was never going to be built as a heavy transport. Ergo, it would not require conversion into the
Leviathan II class later on but could theoretically be built as either a
Leviathan battleship or a
Leviathan II straigth away. The
Leviathan II conversions of its sister ships were done only after the
Rasalhague was completed.
To which class/specifications was the
Rasalhague built?
Was it sort a prototype of the
Leviathan II class, without going through the heavy transport stage first (to see if the design worked as intended before refurbishing two battleships)?