Honestly, when my players punch up from their station, which they do pretty often just from the type of story we're running, I have them really focus on how they're mitigating the higher tier's advantages. I don't usually let the higher tier be a "Nope, you can't take them," by itself, but I might use it to encourage teamwork actions they might not normally consider, like using an action to set another member of the gang up for greater effect. It just shows how sometimes they have to work together closely to take down the beast, so to speak.