The design was based on the previous cruiser, Sfax, and like that vessel, Tage was intended to be used as a commerce raider to attack merchant shipping.

In 1878, the French Navy embarked on a program of cruiser construction authorized by the Conseil des Travaux (Council of Works) for a strategy aimed at attacking British merchant shipping in the event of war.

[1] In 1883, Bertin proposed a follow-on vessel based closely on Sfax, the principal change being an increase in the power of the ship's propulsion system to reach a speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), a major improvement over the 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) reached by Sfax.

The Conseil approved the specifications on 10 July, but Bertin continued to work on the design, particularly after the Navy requested the speed to be increased by another knot to keep pace with developments in fast civilian steam ships.

After a meeting on 20 May 1884, the Conseil suggested removing the cellular layer of watertight compartments above the armor deck that Bertin had devised for Sfax as a way to save weight and thereby increase speed.

[2] At the same time, the naval architect Charles Jaÿ was preparing a proposal to meet the Navy's requirements, which he completed on 18 December 1884.

Instead of Bertin's cellular layer, Jaÿ employed a cofferdam above the armor deck to control flooding in the event of battle damage.

Vice Admiral Alexandre Peyron, then the Minister of the Navy, forwarded Jaÿ's design to the Conseil on 19 January 1885.

After an evaluation on 24 February, the Conseil requested modifications, including an armament identical to Sfax and improved armor protection.

[3] Steam was provided by twelve coal-burning fire-tube boilers that were ducted into funnels located amidships.

[5] To supplement the steam engines on long voyages, she was originally fitted with a barque sailing rig with three masts.

Her cruising radius was 4,642 nautical miles (8,597 km; 5,342 mi) at an economical speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).

Between the armor and main decks, a cofferdam was erected at sides of the ship, which was lined with cellulose to contain flooding in the event of damage.

[5][7] During the ship's initial trials in 1889, the navy decided to increase Tage's armament with an additional pair of 164.7 mm guns.

[3] Tage was ordered on 3 August 1885 and was laid down later that month at the Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire shipyard.

[3] There she served as part of the reconnaissance force for the main French battle fleet, along with the cruisers Sfax, Amiral Cécille, and Lalande.

At that time, the unit also included several older ironclads and the cruisers Davout, Sfax, Forbin, and Condor.

A series of exercises included shooting practice, a blockade simulation, and scouting operations in the western Mediterranean.

These lasted from 18 to 21 July, and the scenario saw the Tage and Sfax simulate a hostile fleet steaming from the Mediterranean Sea to attack France's Atlantic coast.

[16] In 1902, she was assigned to the Newfoundland and Iceland Naval Division, serving with the cruisers D'Estrées, Suchet, and Descartes.