That's not my experience, but I only started doing this back in the AW days. I know there are hordes and there are NOE missions that completly shut down bases, but I've also seen one or two guys hit a base with one or two guy up to defend and slowly over time, you end up with 20 to 30 guys attacking and 20 to 30 guys defending, they fight for hours over and around the base. Not sure what your expecting but if it's just one on one type of fights, you can find those in the MA but you have to go looking for them. I don't know so I"ll ask, are you an active pilot in the MA ?
I've only been around AH for a year and a half this time around, about a six month stretch a few months previous to that.
The two guys hitting a base is not a base take. The two guys hitting a base is two guys who are sick of the horde trying to get a fight going. This sometimes works, and the situation you've described above unfolds. If there's a credible defense at the defending base, take a look at the planes on the offensive side of the above scenario. At most, 10% of them are carrying ord. The other 90% are light, and looking for a vulch.
Wiley.