I've been playing the starbase missions like a fanatic since season 6 launch. Not once have I encountered Tholians as the enemy faction. Plenty of Klingons, Feds, Gorn, and Fek'Ihri, but no Tholians whatsoever.

My starbase is at tier 2, almost 3. Is that too low? At what tier do the Tholians start showing up?

They show up at tier 3 but the star base is choosen from a random person in the group.

Thanks.

Yeah, the starbase is chosen randomly from one of the 5 members on your team. If everyone is a member of a T3 base, then it is guaranteed to be T3. Even then though, you still only have a chance that the Tholians may show up. Otherwise you could continue to fight Klingons, Gorn, and Orion like lower tiers.

Not Tier 3.

Tier 2.

I have been in a fleet alert a solid month ago with a Tier 2 starbase (i double checked) and the tholians were invading. I think earlier on, the chance of seeing tholians was slim since few were at Tier 2, and now since many fleets are, they're coming around more often.

Okay, this is getting ridiculous.

I just spent two and a half hours replaying Fleet Alert in the hopes of running into the Tholians. The results: 50% were Gorn, 20% Fek'Ihri, 20% Federation, and 10% Klingon.

Nearly all of the starbases I was defending were Tier 2. One even looked like a Tier 3 under construction.

You guys are sure it's tier 2 that the Tholians show up?

Only time I seen then was in a T3 Starbase being upgraded to T4.

Finally ran into them today. Those guys are a piece of work.

The starbase was Tier 3.

EDIT: It happened again. Tholians showed up at a Tier 3 starbase.