Flares

Flares, though they share the same name as the signal flares because of translation difficulties, are actually powerful but wildly inaccurate military weapons much more analogous to a rocket propelled grenade or a firework packed with high explosives. These paper or wood cylinders of explosives are launched into the air by propellant, where they arc towards the ground and explode with a timed fuse. A single direct hit has the power to punch through the hull, set a ship ablaze, cover its crew in shrapnel, or knock down its mast. However, aiming it requires as much intuition as skill, and even if it is lined up perfectly there is no guarantee that the propellant will guide it in the right direction. To compensate ships will usually fire them in bursts, saturating a target area in the hopes that one will hit close enough to do damage.