At the extremes of silliness flares can get galleon quadfecta, squid and goldfish trifecta (double flare, double gunner) and junker quinfecta (main deck gunner and normal gunner manning a flare on each side).
IMO if the flare is to do any real direct damage it should be to balloon (which makes sense even if having it deal flechette damage doesn't quite) and only then if they nerf the fps damage.