Why HMS Warrior still fits the fifth-rate logic

Ironclad frigates such as HMS Warrior still fit the older category's logic because they combined one continuous gun deck with only a few additional upper-deck weapons. As guns became more powerful and expensive, adding a second deck was not automatically worthwhile. Warrior answered the French ironclad Gloire at the level of capability the Royal Navy then required. Had France escalated with a still larger design, Britain could have responded in turn, but building that larger ship in advance would have imposed unnecessary cost. Warrior matched procurement to an identified threat without maximizing size for its own sake.